Ceviche is so fresh and loaded with shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and avocados, all marinated in fresh lime juice. For this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, you can use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp meat (if you want to cut the prep time way down). Watch the video, and you’ll see why I love this authentic ceviche so much!
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Helpful Reader Review
“AWESOME Recipe ! I have made Ceviche hundreds of times and Never Once used Clamato ! I Definitely WILL from now on! Thank You Natasha” – Patrick ★★★★★
What is Ceviche?
Ceviche is an appetizer my husband and I have probably made a hundred times, and it’s among my favorite appetizers, right up there with Cowboy Caviar and the wildly popular Guacamole.
We got this authentic Mexican ceviche recipe from one of our readers, Blanca Villasenor. The secret ingredient for the best ceviche is Clamato juice, which melds the flavors together and makes it one of the freshest and most satisfying appetizers you will try. Thank you so much, Blanca, for generously sharing your traditional family recipe with us!
Ceviche has many names including cebiche, seviche, or sebiche. The origin is debated, but it is thought to have its roots in Peru. Ceviche is a seafood cocktail and traditionally uses fresh fish that is marinated or “cooked” in a large amount of citrus juice.
Ceviche Video Tutorial
Watch me make this easy and classic Restaurant-style Ceviche. I have loved this recipe for years and have been fine-tuning it over the years. Also, it’s a true story that my husband and I can polish off the entire batch in one evening in lieu of dinner!
Ingredients for Shrimp Ceviche
- Shrimp – you can chop up raw shrimp and let it cook in the lime juice or use cooked shrimp meat, which I do all the time because it’s easier and faster (more on that below).
- Limes – get the larger limes since they produce more juice. You need about 6 limes or enough lime juice to cover the shrimp, especially if you are using raw shrimp.
- Veggies – We like to bulk up the ceviche with tomatoes, cucumber, and Avocado. I love the slight creaminess that that avocado adds to the sauce. It’s so satisfying!
- Aromatics – Onions and fresh cilantro add a crisp freshness to the ceviche.
- To Make it Spicy– We add seeded and minced jalapeno peppers and serve it with hot sauce – my favorite hot sauce brands for Ceviche are Tapatio, Cholula and Tabasco. Also if you’re adding hot sauce, there’s no need for salt.
- Clamato – this tomato cocktail juice is Blanca’s recommendation to make the marinade a little richer in texture and flavor. Lately we’ve been using the spicy variety for even more depth of flavor.
Can I Use Cooked Shrimp?
Traditionally, ceviche is made using raw shrimp, which is cooked in lime juice. I don’t like to wait for that process to happen, and I don’t like to wonder if it’s really done, so I use cooked shrimp meat. It’s so much easier! If you are starting with raw shrimp and you want to pre-cook it before adding it to Ceviche, see our Boiled Shrimp Recipe.
How to Make Ceviche
- Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and thoroughly squeeze or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your cocktail isn’t watered down. Do this with raw or cooked shrimp.
- Marinate Shrimp – Put chopped shrimp in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of fresh lime juice (this citrus squeezer is my favorite). Refrigerate and marinate (1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp and 15 minutes for cooked shrimp). If using raw shrimp, I like to stir a couple of times while marinating to make sure it’s well coated and it’s ready when it’s opaque and no longer transparent.
- Dice remaining vegetables– cucumber, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- Combine and Serve – Once the shrimp are done marinating, toss in the diced vegetables and Clamato juice and gently stir to combine.
Natasha’s Speedy Tip:
The fastest way to make Ceviche is to dice everything up using a food chopper. My husband uses it to get everything chopped up in less than 5 minutes. After many years of making ceviche, it’s all about efficiency!
Variations for Ceviche
There are so many ways to make this, and it varies by region (i.e., Peruvian versus Mexican Ceviche). The biggest differences are in the types of seafood used.
- Fish Ceviche – instead of shrimp, you can try fresh white fish diced into small pieces. Some options include halibut, sea bass, snapper, or mahi mahi. Scallops are also a popular option. Always use the freshest fish, keep it on ice in the refrigerator, and make ceviche the day you purchase it.
- Raw Shrimp – If using raw shrimp, it should be super fresh and purchased from a trusted source and enjoy the ceviche the first day it is made.
- Cooked Shrimp – I’ll be the first to admit that I love using cooked shrimp meat for ceviche. With a 15-minute marinating time, it’s a no-brainer for me. I also love that shrimp meat is often wild-caught and typically comes at a lower price tag than whole shrimp, plus there is zero peeling or deveining required. Sign me up!
How to Serve Ceviche?
Ceviche is meant to be served as an appetizer with either tortilla chips or over tostadas. You can also serve it over mini lettuce cups for a low-carb version, or for a fancy presentation, spoon it over avocado halves.
Helpful Reader Review
I love this recipe. A helpful tip I’ve learned is to mash avocado and spread on the tostada shell and then spoon on the ceviche. It helps to hold it on when you are eating.” – Glenda ★★★★★
Is Ceviche Safe to Eat?
If you’re new to ceviche, you may be wondering – is ceviche still raw? Marinating shrimp in fresh lime juice essentially cooks the shrimp due to the high acidity of lime juice. Here’s more info on how ceviche works.
Personally, I prefer to use cooked shrimp salad meat, which you don’t have to dice; it saves marinating time, and it’s in line with USDA guidelines (plus, it will taste just as good).
Make Ahead and Storage
We usually polish off our ceviche the day it’s made, but on the rare chance we have leftovers, they do keep really well.
Refrigerate leftovers right away. Refrigerate for up to 1 day if you used raw seafood and refrigerate for up to 2 days if you used cooked shrimp.
I am always so giddy when my husband surprises me with a fresh batch of shrimp Ceviche – it’s just mouthwatering good I hope this becomes a new favorite for you! Let me know if you make your salsa differently. Do you use cooked or fresh shrimp or another type of seafood?
Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shrimp, (raw or cooked*), thawed, peeled, deveined, and diced
- 1 cup lime juice, from 6 limes
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 avocados
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 cup Clamato juice, (use "picante" version for spicier salsa)
Options To Serve:
- 16 Tostadas , (or tortilla chips)
- Hot Sauce, (Tabasco or Cholula)
Instructions
- Prep the Shrimp: Rinse the thawed shrimp under cold running water and thoroughly squeeze or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your cocktail isn't watered down. Do this with raw or cooked shrimp.
- Marinate Shrimp: Dice shrimp if large and place it into a large glass (non-reactive) bowl. Use a citrus squeezer to get 1 to 1 1/4 cups lime juice from 6 limes over shrimp. Stir to combine then cover and marinate in the refrigerator (marinate 1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp or until no longer translucent and marinate 15 minutes for cooked shrimp), stirring halfway through.
- Chop the vegetables: cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. A food chopper will make this process much faster.
- Combine: When shrimp are done marinating, add vegetables to the bowl along with clamato juice and stir to combine. Serve with hot sauce if desired along with tortilla chips or over tostadas.
Notes
*Nutrition label only calculates the ceviche and not tostadas or tortilla chips for serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Shrimp Appetizers
Can you tell we love Shrimp Recipes by now? These are some of our top-rated Shrimp Appetizers that we make on repeat:
- Shrimp Cocktail with the Best Sauce
- Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Coconut Shrimp
- Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli
- Avocado Shrimp Cucumber Bites
- Stuffed Shrimp
- Hot Shrimp Dip
Ya gotta salt it. Really, because Clamato just doesn’t have enough salt by itself.. I like an Asian variation, adding soy sauce to the lime marinade and also some pickled ground garlic red chili, which is in jars at Asian markets. (order it online if you don’t have access, it’s phenomenal) I love your idea of using spicy Clamato, and that’s now a go-to in my house! oh, and I like to marinate the chopped onion along with the seafood. Just my thought. You’re beautiful and fun to watch!
CLAMATO was what my ceviche needed! Thanks! We do add diced jicama!
Just checking. No salt and pepper/ Seasoning?
Hi Johan! That’s correct. The Clamato juice has salt and spices added to it.
I love this recipe. A helpful tip I’ve learned is to mash avocado and spread on the tostada shell and then spoon on the ceviche. It helps to hold it on when you are eating.
Thank you for the tip, Glenda!
Love this recipe, thanks! I didn’t like the ingredients in the Clamato so I substituted it w/ V8 and clam juice then added more salt, some garlic powder and Tahin. Scoop some ceviche on a chip and top w/ Mayonesa (mayo w/ lime juice)..divine!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jocelyn! I’m glad the substitution worked well.
Loved this! Left out clamato, instead used one lemon and one orange for the juice. Although I’m not sure what kind of magical limes this recipe called for that 6 of them equal 1 cup of juice. More like 16 of them.
Hi Natasha, love your recipes
Was wondering if the shrimp can be left out, have a few friends that are allergic to seafood, how would I be able to do the shrimp on the side for those who enjoy it
I’m glad you’re enjoying them! Instead of shrimp, you can try fresh white fish diced into small pieces. Some options include halibut, sea bass, or snapper. Scallops are also a popular option. Always use the freshest fish, keep it on ice in the refrigerator, and make ceviche the day you purchase it.
Trying Bloody Mary mix instead of Clamato, will let you know how that works!
Natasha love your recipes and more than that your energy. Regarding this recipe I would suggest a healthy glug of avocado or olive oil to coat the avo so it won’t won’t brown out! May want to also check out Camaronazo Lime Spicy®, a tomato and shrimp based product instead of Clamato, several varieties available, Salud!
Thanks for sharing, Raul!
At first I followed the recipe exactly, using 9 limes to get the 1 cup lime juice, and using homemade Clamato juice so I didn’t have msg in it from store bought. When I tasted, the sour was way overpowering so perhaps the homemade Clamato is a bit more sour than store bought. To remedy, I used another 1/2 cup Clamato and whisked in some Heinz Simply Ketchup to taste and then added to the Ceviche. Was terrific! I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe. I did rewrite this, because my internet connection was freezing (in case the original message comes through at some point).
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha,
Quick question-in the recipe it states 2 cups of lime juice from 6 limes (this is not enough limes for 2 cups) for 16 people but in your instructions, it states 1-1 and 1/4 cups from 6 lines. Would you clarify what amount of lime juice is correct for this amount of servings? Thanks so much!
Hi Kendra, the recipe states “1 cup lime juice, from 6 limes” If you adjust the recipe, you would need to also adjust the note, in your case adjust the limes by doubling them from 6 to 12. When using the recipe slider only the recipe amount will change, not the ingredient notes). I hope that helps.
I wasn’t sure about cucumber in ceviche but followed the recipe as written and it was great! The perfect summer dinner when it’s 100o !!
Thank you. I do enjoy this dish. Your receipes are fun and easy to follow.
Excellent! I made this for my husband and I, but I’m looking forward to making this for a group.
This was next level good. My wife could not stop eating it! This will definitely be in the rotation from now on. Can’t wait until we go on vacation to the beach and get some really fresh shrimp!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Tom!
I’ve never made anything like this before. I did use cooked shrimp. It’s definitely in a rotation now. My friends love watching your videos. We watched it together to make make the recipe.
I like your recipe, but I always make extra. I use bay scallops, and also add a bit of coriander and cumin. If I don’t have jalapeños, I use hatch green chili’s. Ceviche is my favorite dish to take to a party. When I do have leftovers, I use it for fish tacos!
Sounsd good, Wendy! Great idea to use leftovers too!
Made this delicious ceviche, but it took three sittings to finish. Kudos to you and her hubby for polishing it off in one sitting. I cooked raw shrimp instead of using pre cooked shrimp.
That looks delicious MINUS the cilantro (yuck). I don’t have a particular favorite totilla chip but it must be salty and I would probably add salt to my serving.
I made this and there was so much liquid in the bowl. Should I be draining the shrimp from the lime juice after it’s done marinating? The 1 cup of lime + 1 cup of clamato was a lot of liquid for this bowl.
Hi Dina, that is normal for ceviche – you can use a slotted spoon to serve it which is what we normally do.